It was sold as a cheaper home computer version of the FM-8 without the bubble memory technology, which never caught on anyway. But it was actually technically better than the FM-8 regarding the sound, upgraded to 3 channels from a beeper, and the CPU speed, increased from 1 to 2Mhz.
The machine was seen as good value for money, being especially noted for the quality and speed of its graphic display which bench marked twice as fast as the higher priced NEC PC-8801.
The release of the FM-77 (1985) was a major breakthrough as it became the first 8-bit computer to break the 8-color barrier and achieve a simultaneous display of 4096 colors. It also came with a built-in Yamaha FM synthesis sound board, providing higher-quality audio.
Although it did not usurp the NEC PC's top spot in the Japanese market it still managed to create a fairly large following, especially amongst computer hobbyist's.
Here are thirty great games, in alphabetical order, that you can play on the Fujitsu FM-7. If you wish to find out more details about these games I have provided the original Japanese kanji which you can copy and paste in any search engine to get even more results. You can also play these games on a PC using the XM-7 emulator found
here
Amnork (ASCII 1987)
アムノーク
 |
| Amnork |
 |
| アムノーク |
FM-7 exclusive notable for its advanced 3D graphics engine, which processed 3D polygons at high frame rates for its time.
Aspic (Xtalsoft 1986)
アスピック
 |
| Aspic |
 |
| アスピック |
Aspic is an RPG that adopts the then common old-school method of combining third-person overworld exploration with first-person dungeon crawling, such as that used by the original Phantasy Star. Battles in the game are set in a separate real-time mode where the player must attack, jump and block the enemy's attacks in order to win. Occasionally, the player can convince an enemy warrior to join them in their quest; when this happens, the now friendly unit fights in the hero's place for a while.
Asteka II: Taiyou no Shinden - Templo Del Sol (Falcom 1986)
太陽の神殿: アステカ II
 |
| Asteka II |
 |
| 太陽の神殿: アステカ II |
Also known as Tombs and Tresure for the English language version, puts the player in the role of an archaeologist exploring the ruins of the Mayan city Chichén Itzá. Menu driven rather than using a text parser like the previous game. choosing objects to interact with is not done with a mouse pointer, but rather you "cycle through" all objects on the screen, which makes life a lot easier. You travel using an overhead map. When you enter a building it reverts to a first-person view.
Chack'n Pop (Carry Lab. / Nidecom Soft 1984)
ちゃっくんぽっぷ
 |
| Chack'n Pop |
 |
| ちゃっくんぽっぷ |
First appeared in the arcade, considered to be an ancestor of Bubble Bobble due to the appearance of many similar enemies and Bubble Bobble's duplication of a Chack'n Pop level. Ported to many home computers but not so successful. Never the less cameo appearances of this game can be found in later, more popular Taito arcade releases.
Courageous Perseus (Cosmos Computer 1984)
カレイジアスペルセウス
 |
| Courageous Perseus |
 |
| カレイジアスペルセウス |
It was one of the first action RPGs, and was released in Japan during the same month as Dragon Slayer, and before Hydlide. In some ways, it was more advanced and ambitious than both of them, including a bigger inventory, larger open world, and survival elements, set on an island. Lots of backtracking and unfair enemies go against the game and may have led to it being less popular than the other more famous games mentioned.
Daiva Story 2: Memory in Durga (T&E Soft 1987)
ディーヴァドゥルガーの記憶
 |
| Daiva Story 2 |
 |
| ディーヴァドゥルガーの記憶 |
The second of seven Daiva games, released exclusively for the FM-7. The other six games were each released uniquely on a number of other popular systems. Part battle strategy, where you control a fleet of spaceships, and part side scrolling run and gun shooter.
Demons Ring (Falcom 1984)
デーモンズリング
 |
| Demons Ring |
 |
| デーモンズリング |
Early and extremely difficult text command driven graphical adventure game. Released only 3 months after Panorama tou and before Asteka and Dragon Slayer.
Dungeon (Koei 1983)
ダンジョン
 |
| Dungeon |
 |
| ダンジョン |
This RPG gives you a choice of five classes, Soldier, Cleric, Magic User, Thief and Ninja. You then roll stats for Stamina (HP), Attack Strength, Speed, Skillfulness and Charisma. You start at a random location in the game world which is an island. You can enter cities or dungeons from the main map of the island. The design of the creatures that wander around the dungeons are good. This game is quite similar to the early Ultima games.
El Dorado Denki (Enix 1985)
エルドラド伝奇
 |
| El Dorado Denki |
 |
| エルドラド伝奇 |
In this menu-driven text-entry hybrid graphical adventure game you have to find your murdered friends sister who has been kidnapped and taken to El Dorado. The games contains a lot of nudity as the aim of the game is to find a piece of a golden statue and several star tattoos which usually requires characters to remove clothing. It's not as perverted as some of the true eroge stuff though. The graphics are great for their time but take ages to appear, probably as the game was written in Basic.
Hokkaidou Rensa Satsujin: Ohotsuku ni Kiyu!! (ASCII 1984)
北海道連鎖殺人 オホーツクに消ゆ
 |
| Hokkaidou Rensa Satsujin: Ohotsuku ni Kiyu!! |
 |
| 北海道連鎖殺人 オホーツクに消ゆ |
An investigation adventure, sophisticated for its time, in which the player must resolve a murder mystery by searching for clues, exploring different areas, interacting with characters and solving item-based puzzles. It is the second game in Yuuii Horii mysteries trilogy and an influential title that defined the visual novel genre. An unofficial English fan translation of the Famicom version was released in 2006 by DvD Translations.
In The Psychic City (Hot-B 1984)
サイキックシティ
 |
| In The Psychic City |
 |
| サイキックシティ |
One of the earliest RPGs which, in contrast to most other RPGs at the time, followed a science-fiction cyberpunk theme. A character is created by distributing points to skills such as Psychokinesis and Telepathy. Your character then navigates a map, fighting enemies, such as robots and other mechanical creatures, that sometimes appear in first-person perspective turn-based fashion.
JESUS (Enix 1987)
ジーザス
 |
| JESUS |
 |
| ジーザス |
Jesus: Kyofu no Bio Monster is a visual novel adventure game (Aka. Jesus: Dreadful Bio-Monster) The game's name refers to a space station called J.E.S.U.S. which is shaped like a double-edged sword. The crew go on to fight a mysterious demonic alien from Halley's Comet.
Karuizawa Yuukai Annai (Enix 1985)
軽井沢誘拐案内
 |
| Karuizawa Yuukai Annai |
 |
| 軽井沢誘拐案内 |
The third and final game in the Yuji Horii Mysteries trilogy of visual novel adventure games. (Aka. The Karuizawa Kidnapping Guide) used the command menu system and point-and-click cursor interface of the previous games whilst also adding an overhead map which gave the player direct control over the player character to explore the area.
Ken to Mahou (Koei 1983)
剣と魔法
 |
| Ken to Mahou |
 |
| 剣と魔法 |
An RPG where an evil wizard has killed the king and kidnapped a princess. You know the rest. There are nine character types that include both classes (Fighter, White Knight, Black Knight, Druid, Pilgrim, and Wizard) and races (Human, Dwarf, and Elf), each with different attributes that influence their performance in combat. The game world is open and consists of a top-down area with icons for towns and castles. Turn-based one-on-one battles allow the player to choose between various types of attacks and a single "magic" command.
Lizard (Micro Cabin 1985)
リザード
 |
| Lizard |
 |
| リザード |
Lizard is a simple first-person dungeon crawler in Wizardry style, though with a single player character rather than a party. The goal is to explore a maze-like pseudo-3D tower and locate a magical book that would help the hero to rescue a captured princess. The player can choose between the classes of Fighter, Thief, and Merchant when creating the protagonist. Town menu is wholly text-based. Battles are random and allow the player to either attack or use items.
Mario Bros. Special (Hudson 1984)
マリオブラザーズ スペシャル
 |
| Mario Bros. Special |
 |
| マリオブラザーズ スペシャル |
The game is again not a straight port of Mario Bros, but an original Arcade-style platformer with adjustments to the game's graphics and sounds. There are four different stages that usually involve Mario figuring out how to progress to the top of the screen, Dollar signs and rare rings are collected rather than coins. The stages repeat and get progressively harder, with more enemies and obstacles.
Nobunaga's Ambition (KOEI 1987)
信長の野望
 |
| Nobunaga's Ambition |
 |
| 信長の野望 |
The first of a series of turn-based grand strategy role-playing simulation video games and one of the first games in its genre. Takes place during the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. The player is tasked with achieving the ultimate goal of warlord Oda Nobunaga, the conquest and unification of Japan.
Penguin-Kun Wars (ASCII 1985)
ぺんぎんくんWARS
 |
| Penguin-Kun Wars |
 |
| ぺんぎんくんWARS |
You choose one of five animals, cow, rabbit, bat, rat or penguin, and plays games against all the other animals. In each game two animals are on opposite sides of a table and have five balls each. the aim is to get all ten balls to the opponents side of the table by rolling them. There is also a time limit of 60 seconds and when the time is up the player with the fewest balls on their side wins. The different animals have different strengths and weaknesses such as speed, strength and recovery power.
Plazma Line (Technosoft 1984)
プラズマライン
 |
| Plazma Line |
 |
| プラズマライン |
A first-person space racing game where the objective is to fly through outer space while avoiding obstacles along the way. Notable for being the first computer game with 3D polygon graphics. It also featured an automap radar to keep track of the player's position. The game was created by Katsunori Yoshimura, who also created the original Thunder Force, and later went on to start Arsys Software.
Psy-O-blade (T&E Soft 1988)
サイオブレード
 |
| Psy-O-blade |
 |
| サイオブレード |
An anime style adventure game where there are none of the usual puzzles to solve. Instead the player advances by talking to characters, visiting different locations, as well as examining and using objects.
Riglas (Random House 1986)
リグラス ゲーム
 |
| Riglas |
 |
| リグラス ゲーム |
Way ahead of its time in many ways, the most notable being that it was completely non-linear and allowed you to kill innocent people for no reason.
Star Arthur Densetsu I: Wakusei Mephius (T&E Soft 1983)
スターアーサー伝説 Ⅰ ～惑星メフィウス～
 |
| Star Arthur Densetsu I: Wakusei Mephius |
 |
| スターアーサー伝説 Ⅰ ～惑星メフィウス～ |
One of the earliest adventure games to use a command menu system. Its key innovation was the introduction of a point-and-click interface, using a cursor to interact with objects on the screen. It was the first adventure game to support a mouse. Along with these innovations, it still supported the traditional text-parser input used by other adventure games at the time. It spawned two sequels in less than two years and was therefore the first episodic adventure game.
The Dragon and Princess (Koei 1982)
ドラゴンアンドプリンセス
 |
| The Dragon and Princess |
 |
| ドラゴンアンドプリンセス |
The very first computer RPG ever developed in Japan. The player has control over a party of five characters, although their stats are fixed, and all one gets to customize are their names. The main adventuring mode is entirely text-based and works like any other text adventure. The party is randomly attacked by animals, bandits or monsters, upon which the game creates an overhead tactical view.
The Earth Fighter Rayieza (Enix 1985)
地球戦士ライーザ
 |
| The Earth Fighter Rayieza |
 |
| 地球戦士ライーザ |
Unlike most other role-playing video games of the period, the game takes place in a sci-fi setting instead of a fantasy world; it was one of the first sci-fi RPG's, along with Psychic City and The Screamer. The game was never released outside of Japan.
The Return of Ishtar (Namco 1986)
イシターの復活
 |
| The Return of Ishtar |
 |
| イシターの復活 |
Originally an arcade sequel, this two-player action-RPG that follows directly after Tower of Druaga sees Ki and Gilgamesh try escape the Tower, fighting through the legions of Druaga that are trying to avenge their fallen master. One player controls Ki and the other controls Gilgamesh. They have different strengths and weaknesses. The aim is to combine efforts to fight through enemies and explore each of the tower's rooms for valuable items.
Tokyo Nanpa Street (Enix 1985)
Ｔｏｋｙｏナンパストリート
 |
| Tokyo Nanpa Street |
 |
| Ｔｏｋｙｏナンパストリート |
Dating simulation game that helped lay the foundations for the genre. considered somewhat revolutionary for its time due to its artificial intelligence based dialogue system, with the female characters reacting somewhat realistically to the player character's dialogues. The game was written and produced by Sekino Hikaru, a friend of Yuji Horii, creator of the mysteries series.
Tritorn (Sein Soft 1985)
トリトーン
 |
| Tritorn |
 |
| トリトーン |
One of the first action RPG titles which improved on the early Dragon Slayer and Hydlide games by replacing their simple bump-attack real-time combat system with a true hack & slash combat system where the player needs to press a melee attack button to swing a sword, like in the earlier Tower of Druaga and later Legend of Zelda games. It was also one of the first Metroidvania-style games, released just a month after genre pioneer Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II and a month before Brain Breaker.
Will: The Death Trap II (Squaresoft 1985)
ウィル
 |
| Will: The Death Trap II |
 |
| ウィル |
This sequel to The Death Trap was a technical milestone for its real-time animated cutscenes, rendered using animated bitmap graphics, as well as its soundtrack by Nobuo Uematsu. Will was released exclusively in Japan, where it sold more than 100,000 copies, making it a major commercial success for a computer game at the time of its release. The game's success, along with that of its successor Alpha, paved the way for Squaresoft's later success with the Final Fantasy series.
Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II (Falcom 1986)
ザナドゥ
 |
| Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II |
 |
| ザナドゥ |
The to Dragon Slayer is notable for several reasons, including its sales record for computer games in Japan with over 400,000 copies sold there in 1985. It was also one of the foundations of the RPG genre, particularly the action RPG subgenre, featuring real-time action combat combined with full-fledged character statistics, innovative gameplay systems such as the Karma meter and individual experience for equipped items, and platform game elements combined with the dungeon crawl gameplay of its predecessor. It also had towns to explore and introduced equipment that change the player character's visible appearance, food that is consumed slowly over time and essential for keeping the player character alive, and magic used to attack enemies from a distance. The following year saw the release of Xanadu Scenario II, an early example of an expansion pack.
Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished - The Final Chapter (Falcom 1988)
イースII
 |
| Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished - The Final Chapter |
 |
| イースII |
Has many improvements over the original RPG of the series. It's much bigger, there are more areas to explore and more people to talk to. The introduction of magic spells allow for ranged attacks. Boss battles that require skill to succeed. Finally one spell in particular, called Transform, turns your player into a bad guy. This allows for a great deal of espionage and even lets you to talk to monsters too. XSeed Games have localized several Ys titles so you now have access to one of the best RPG series around along with some of the best music in the history of all video gaming.
The next Retro Japan Computer Special will be all about the Sharp X1 and its games.
, which is having a Retro Japan Computer Special of its own this month, revisiting Japanese computer games and hardware advertising from the early eighties.
No comments:
Post a Comment